Al-Qaeda Said to Urge Attacks on Israeli Athletes at Rio Games

The Times of Israel reports: The al-Qaeda jihadist group has reportedly issued a directive urging its followers to carry out lone wolf attacks against Israeli athletes at the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

According to exchanges on social media obtained by The Foreign Desk website, jihadis are urged to target individual competitors from the US, UK, France and Israel, using knives, poison, explosives-laden drones and kidnappings.

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“One small knife attack against Americans/Israelis in these places will have bigger media effect than any other attacks anywhere else, God willing,” one message read.

One post suggested pouring oil on roads near Olympic host venues in order to “see Israeli Jews flying with their vehicle by the will of Allah.”

Would-be attackers were assured that obtaining a visa to Brazil is relatively easy, and that guns are widely available in Rio’s “crime-ridden slums,” the report said.